


When I Wake Up Next to You

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Okay this fic is honestly 100 percent fluff because I am sad and weak and I need this, Romance, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6829189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief glimpse into the everyday life of Erwin and Levi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When I Wake Up Next to You

It’s one in the morning when Levi nudges Erwin awake.

“Hmmpfftt…” groans Erwin as he opens a bleary eye. “What is it, Levi?”

“I’m craving cake.”

Erwin rubs his eyes and slaps his face gently, trying to wake himself up. “Levi, do you know what time it is? No grocery store is open right now.”

“Yes, but can’t you make me something?” 

“I bake all day for a living, and now you wake me up in the middle of the night?” Erwin asks incredulously. “I love you, but you really know how to push your boundaries.” 

A small frown creeps across Levi’s face as he lays his head on Erwin’s bare chest.

Sighing softly as he runs his fingers through Levi’s hair, he decides against his better judgement as he replies, “Get up.” He picks up a pair of sweatpants on the ground and shrugs them on.

He is completely oblivious to the triumphant smirk on Levi’s face as he follows him out into the kitchen.

Levi makes himself comfortable on a bar stool as Erwin reaches for a blanket on the couch, wrapping it around his body. Then he watches Erwin remove ingredients from the cabinets, measuring each of them out carefully and methodically. The warmth of the oven and softness of the blanket slowly consume Levi’s body and before he can stop himself, his head thuds gently on the kitchen counter as he falls into a deep slumber.

 _Cake can wait for another day_ , thinks Erwin as he abandons the ingredients and picks up Levi, cradling him as he walks back to their bedroom.

\---

It’s no surprise that Erwin wakes up late the following morning. 

“Dammit,” he mumbles under his breath as he glances at the clock on the wall. He should have been at the café over thirty minutes ago, but the previous night’s events resulted in him repeatedly hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock for the past hour. He can only hope that Mike opened shop without him and judging from the lack of messages on his phone, seemed like a possibility. 

Levi is still sleeping soundly in bed as Erwin brushes his teeth and gets dressed in a simple white button up shirt with some khaki slacks. Leaning down quickly and giving Levi a gentle kiss on the forehead, he whispers “Good morning, love. I’ll see you later.”

Levi mumbles incoherently for a bit and replies, “Bring me back some leftovers. Especially those croissants.” Then he immediately falls back asleep, snoring lightly.

\---

Erwin keeps his promise and brings back not only croissants, but an assortment of different pastries and cakes. He knows that Levi has a rather voracious appetite when it comes to sweets and desserts.

As predicted, Levi heads directly for the platter of pastries the moment he gets home.

“You’re only dating me for my superior baking skills,” says Erwin morosely.

Levi ignores him as he picks up a scone and devours it hungrily. 

\---

Erwin doesn’t mind when Levi calls him an “old man”. In fact, it’s even become a term of endearment.

However, being an old man does have its perks.

For example, massages from Levi.

“Oh yes,” sighs Erwin contentedly into his pillow. “That’s the spot.” He’s lying face down in bed and Levi is straddling his back, working out a tight knot.

“You’re not taking breaks at work, are you?” Levi frowns. “I told you a thousand times to stretch throughout the day.”

Erwin moans loudly under Levi’s touch as he tries to speak coherent and full sentences. “It’s been busier than usual these past few days. University students coming in to study. Exams soon.”

“Shut up,” hisses Levi. “Stop moaning so sexually. The neighbors are going to complain.” 

Either Erwin ignores him or doesn’t hear, and he groans loudly, “Yes, right there! Harder!” 

Sighing exasperatedly, Levi applies more pressure on the knot and Erwin’s shouts – _Yes! Yes!! Levi! Harder!_ – grow louder. The bed creaks slightly with the added force and Erwin is moaning inappropriately and borderline dramatically.

“Oh my God, shut the fuck up!” yells their neighbor, knocking angrily on their shared wall.

\---

Levi leaves for a weekend business trip a few days later.

“Be safe, okay?” says Erwin anxiously. They’re at the airport and Levi has his boarding pass in one hand, suitcase in the other.

“Yeah,” mumbles Levi. He lifts his head to kiss Erwin gently on the lips. “Don’t let the apartment get too messy while I’m gone.”

“I’ll make sure you have a lot of cleaning to do when you return,” teases Erwin. He wraps his hands around Levi’s body and hugs him tightly. “Call me when you land.”

Levi waves goodbye as he walks towards the security line, and Erwin watches him disappear into the crowd. Then he pulls out his cellphone and dials a number.

“Hey, Mike? Yeah, he’s gone.”

\---

Erwin might be a genius in the kitchen, but he’s not a handyman. For that, he enlists the help of Mike and Hanji.

They meet at a local hardware store an hour later.

“Levi is going to be so surprised when he sees this!” squeals Hanji excitedly. “You’re positive he has no idea what you’re up to?”

“No idea at all,” says Erwin, a trace of smugness in his voice. “I’ve been saving up for a long time now.”

Their shared apartment is small and cozy and perfect for the two of them, but the furniture was getting old, the paint was chipping in certain places, and the sink and bathtub were starting to rust. Despite Levi’s best efforts to keep the place clean, there was no denying that certain aspects would have to be fixed and replaced. Between Erwin’s job at the café and Levi’s marketing job at an advertising company, they had enough to get by but not nearly enough for unnecessary luxuries.

What Levi doesn’t know is that Erwin was pulling extra shifts at work for the past year to save up enough to renovate their apartment. With Levi gone for the weekend, it was the perfect opportunity to put his plan into action.

The three of them examine paint swatches, pick out wood to rebuild the cabinets, and some new fabric to reupholster the furniture. Erwin even splurges on a brand new bathtub, knowing that the stains in their old one always frustrated Levi.

Erwin ends up spending all his money but he thinks that it’s worth every cent for Levi. They load up his purchases on Mike’s truck and make their way back to Erwin’s apartment.

It takes the entire weekend, but their hard work pays off.

They replaced the old water damaged kitchen cabinets with new ones that Mike had built. Gone were the stained carpet and couch, and were replaced with clean hardwood floor and upholstered furniture. The walls were no longer chipped, and were repainted smooth and white. It took an entire afternoon to remove the old bathtub and install the new one, but Erwin was so happy that he didn’t even care.

And as long as Erwin is happy, so are Mike and Hanji.

Erwin picks Levi up from the airport the following Monday evening.

“How was your trip?” asks Erwin genuinely. He’s driving them home and although he knows he should have both hands on the wheel, he can’t resist taking one off to intertwine his fingers with Levi’s. 

“It was okay,” hums Levi absentmindedly, letting his thumb trace small circles on the back of Erwin’s hand. “Just a bit tired. I didn’t get much sleep.”

They pull up to their apartment and Erwin parks on the side of the street. Before Levi can get his keys to open the door, however, Erwin quickly covers Levi’s eyes with his hands.

“Hang on. I have a surprise waiting for you upstairs.”

“You do?” A note of surprise creeps into Levi’s voice and Erwin can feel a small smile on his face under his palms.

They climb the stairs carefully and Erwin fumbles for a bit to get the keys from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he makes sure that Levi’s eyes are firmly covered before leading him inside.

“Welcome home,” he whispers softly into Levi’s ear as he removes his hands.

The apartment was nearly unrecognizable to Levi. 

“You did all this?” asks Levi in disbelief. “For me?”

“Of course, love. I had some help from Mike and Hanji, though. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Erwin is caught off guard when Levi turns around and tackles him on the ground, planting kisses on every inch of bare skin.

\---

The hardwood floor is uncomfortable underneath their bodies, so they move things into the bedroom.

Levi discards his shirt somewhere along the way and he’s unbuckling the buttons on Erwin’s shirt when they collapse into a pile on their bed. Erwin wastes no time in alternating between gently biting and kissing Levi’s neck, one hand tangled in his hair and the other caressing his face. It’s so tender that Levi feels warmth spread throughout his body.

His legs wrap around Erwin’s waist as he pulls them closer together, bare chests pressing against each other and breaths mingling softly. 

Levi doesn’t consider himself a romantic, but he firmly believes there’s a difference between fucking and making love.

And tonight, they're going to make love. 

\---

Levi wakes up first the next morning. It’s much too early to start getting ready for work, so he rolls over and presses Erwin’s back against his chest, enjoying the radiating warmth from Erwin’s bare skin.

“Good morning,” whispers Levi. Erwin mumbles slightly and brings Levi’s hand up to his lips, kissing it softly.

Levi is far too comfortable to move, so he settles for kissing the back of Erwin’s neck. Indulgent mornings like these are what he lives for, even though he’s not a morning person at all. 

When Erwin’s alarm finally rings, Levi reluctantly untangles himself from Erwin and sits up straight. “I’ll see you later?”

Erwin rolls over, a sleepy smile on his face, and kisses Levi’s stomach. “Yeah, see you later tonight.”

\---

Somehow, Erwin manages to convince Levi to go on a picnic together one Saturday morning.

It may or may not have something to do with Erwin promising to bake some breakfast pastries, though.

Levi wraps himself in a thick blanket and sips his hot tea as Erwin hums a tune under his breath, driving in the direction of the sunrise. They drive for an hour and Levi dozes in and out of a light sleep when they finally stop near a small hill with a large tree at the top.

They climb it silently, enjoying the early morning silence and each other’s company. Erwin spreads out the blanket on the grass and opens the basket filled with fruit, pastries, and coffee, while Levi sits down next to him and lays his head on Erwin’s lap.

Even Levi has to admit that it’s nice to relish in the crisp cool air and Erwin’s warm arms wrapped around his body. 

That is, until he feels a raindrop hit his face.

“Shit.” 

They just barely manage to stuff the food back into the basket before the downpour drenches the both of them.

\---

“I told you that picnic was a bad idea,” grumbles Levi. He sneezes loudly and blows his nose into a tissue, dropping it into the trash can as he walks towards an equally sick Erwin who is lying on the couch. 

“It was worth it though,” smiles Erwin as he sits up, beckoning Levi to join him.

The two of them share a blanket on the couch and drink the tea that Erwin prepared, watching a movie on the television but not really paying much attention. The combination of medicine, hot tea, and Levi’s warmth lulls Erwin asleep almost immediately, and he slumps sideways on Levi’s lap.

With his flushed pink cheeks and slightly runny nose, Levi can’t help but find Erwin endearing. He can’t carry Erwin to their bedroom and he doesn’t want to wake him up either, but he also doesn’t want to sleep alone in their bed. Instead, he carefully places Erwin’s head on a cushion and lies down next to him. The couch is small and cramped, and it’s not the most comfortable position, but Levi doesn’t mind.

\---

Spring comes around and as per tradition, Levi begins spring cleaning.

He’s cleaning out the storage closet when he finds a shoebox on the top shelf. Wiping the dust off with a cloth, he opens the lid.

“Hey Erwin, check this out.”

Erwin’s head peeks out from around the hallway corner, hands dusted with flour and a pink apron hanging from his neck.

“Look at this,” says Levi, holding up a stack of photographs. “I forgot we had these.”

Erwin sits down next to him as he takes the stack, flipping through the pictures. “These are so old,” he muses. “Most of them are from when we first met.” He picks out one photo in particular and smiles. “Our military graduation photo.”

A much younger Erwin and Levi were dressed in white pants, brown shirts, and dark green jackets. Erwin was smiling brightly and Levi looked bored.

“I remember this,” says Levi suddenly. “I really hated you when we first met, you know.”

“Yeah,” smiles Erwin fondly, ruffling Levi's hair and planting a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “Look at where we are now.” 

\---

For their anniversary, they don’t do anything exceptionally special. Erwin bakes a strawberry cake and they order some takeout from the restaurant downstairs. They eat their meal, exchanging light conversation about their day and plans for the rest of the week. It would have been a normal night like all the others, except it marked the end of another year together and the beginning of a new one. 

After dinner, Levi helps Erwin with the dishes and they fall into a quiet, methodic rhythm of washing and drying. It’s still early when they finish, but they head towards the bedroom anyway. They make themselves comfortable in bed, Erwin reading a book and Levi listening to music.

“We really are getting old,” says Levi dejectedly. “Look at us, in bed before nine.”

Erwin chuckles softly as he grabs Levi’s hand and intertwines their fingers together. Removing his glasses and placing them on the nightstand next to him, he rolls over and pins Levi’s hands above his head. 

They kiss slowly and languidly, enjoying every moment and every touch. Erwin feels his heart swell with happiness as he places soft, gentle kisses against Levi’s jaw and neck. After all their years together, Erwin has memorized Levi’s body like a map, familiar with every dimple and all his sensitive spots. His hand travels down Levi’s back and slips underneath his shirt, stroking his hipbone and listening to Levi moan softly into his mouth. 

_If I could spend the rest of his life like this with Levi by my side, I would be more than okay with that,_ thinks Erwin. 

When they finally break apart and pull away from each other, Erwin’s eyes are shining with adoration.

“Thank you for loving me,” he whispers softly, nuzzling his nose against the crook of Levi’s neck.

A genuine smile flashes across Levi’s face as he leans into Erwin’s touch.

“Thank you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> It was either this or a reincarnation fic, and I wasn't ready for even a hint of angst. Sooooooo... here is the result.
> 
> There is so much disgusting old men fluff in this and I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY. (But I am weak and sad I REALLY need some light-hearted 100% sappy fluff after the past few chapters. My heart is not okay.)


End file.
